THE GERMAN OPERA. a small but
Os Monday evening., the Prince's Theatre was opened by the long. expected German company, under the management of Herr Senumamq of the Grand Opera at Mayence. Der Freisdrutz was selected fo:. the opening; and if perfect precision in the choruses, admirable orchestra, aided by principal singers of great excellence though not first-rate talent, could insure success, we might safely pre, diet for the German Opera a prosperous season. The success of the Italian operas of the present day depends solely on the efforts of the principal singers, who endeavour by drawing largely on their inex- haustible treasury of roulades and ornaments, to compensate the lament- able deficiency of melody existing in the operas of the modern Italian school; while the effects of which the operatic music of Germany is capable, depend upon tmity ond egnality of' arrangement rather than on any superiority in one or two singers. It was this unity which pro. duce(' sued' a strong feeling in the house on Monday evening. The choruses were complete in every part ; all sang as if it were their pleasure, their delight, the sole oljeet of their existence, and not as the mere hireling puppets of the English aud Ration stage. The "Vie, toria" aud the favourite "Jiiger " choruses were given with an anima- tion. a truth, 0.N igour, which charmed its. Throughout the opera there was not a thilme of any kind; every thing went smoothly and satisfac- torily ; :old we can desire no greater pleasure than to listen to the -works of 11-Eurn, IlEntruovrix, and Somali equally well performed.
Of the. principal sing,ers we must speak in terms of great praise: not one fell below mediocrity, uldle ,onte rose far alcove it. The prima donut:, Iliad:me hot:11'.`..117.11i1•1, has a fine, rich voice, and her style of singing is extinisilcly pure : gentle and quiet in her usual manner, she gave parlS Seellli in the second act with a power and passion of which we at first scarcely thought her capable. She was well sup. ported by Madanie SCHUMANN as ..-Imichen; a clever little actress, who sustained her party most creditably. Herr ScuEMEzlitt, as Max, proved himself an able singer as well :Is actor : the unadorned simplicity of his style has, ve confess, great chorms for us ; we could not help, as the opera proceeded, comparing hint with Room ; and although in power and flexibility of voice the Italian may surpass the Oct. man artist, yet in purity of intonation, in the power of sustaining the voice, es well as in feeling and expression, Herr SeHENEZER
is far his superior. His performance of the beautiful sena in which Samiel appears in the background, was an evidence of this, marked as it was by tender and passionate feeling. Herr Ken, who personated Cuspar, is a singer of great merit ; and especi- ally distinguished himself in the drinking-song, "Hier un
md- sehuems Jammerthal." Had we eNreeted in this small theatre the appa- ratus fer the diablerie of' the incantation-scene, to which we have been accustomed at Covent Garden and Drury Lane in former days, we should have been disappointed; but the music fully compensated for all defieiene ies in scenery aud machinery.
In col:elusion, lye, express our sincere hope that the English public will show a jest appreciation cf this effort ; and by a sufficient patron- age, induce the German company to continue their exertions, and thus afford us on o;:rcrtunity el hearing many of those splendid operas of their country w hieh at present we know only by perusal.
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